1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for preparing a file report for an electronic digital signal processor. In particular, it pertains to a system using machine independent user language in the display of a menu of report definition instructions to enable an operator to select multiple report definition instructions to generate a shell document to be stored for use in the electronic digital signal processor to control logical separation of the file report on output.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electronic digital signal processing systems have been previously developed as operator-controlled word and data processing machines. Word/data processing machines have also been developed to perform text processing functions, such as the generation of several types of merged output, e.g., repetitive letters and file reports. The definition of such file reports is created by the operator's generation of a shell document, which is a program to provide instructions for the electronic digital signal processor in performing the task of preparing a report from a file of records.
Report preparation has previously involved the generation of a shell document based upon keying to a menu of report instructions. Keying to a menu has been accomplished with a symbol shell, which allows the shell to be utilized by operators who speak and read different languages. As an example of a prior art report preparation resulting in a symbol shell, an operator selecting Report Preface, Group Heading, and Detail from a menu might have displayed the symbol "&," ";," and ":" representing these three instructions. Such a report preparation system requires an operator to remember and correlate menu symbols, which creates operator confusion and increasing difficulty in the preparation of a report as the number of shell items and symbols increases. The operator's creation of a shell document, which is essentially a computer program, is a rather complex, error-prone task. A need has thus arisen for a system for report preparation to display a variety of instructions in a meaningful way for operators that speak and read different languages, to properly enter and intersperse report instructions and reports texts, and to minimize operator errors in a complex report preparation.